Parenthood series finale

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 1/30/15 at 8:03am

I know there are some other Parenthood fans around here...I'm a total mess right now at work. One of my co-workers was addicted too, and as soon as I saw her this morning we both started crying. The past three or four episodes have been really tough, but holy crap last night did me in.

The Sarah/Zeek scenes have been killers, but when he told her she was his favorite- oh boy. Then the wedding photo montage, Haddie/Max scene, Drew's speech, baseball game. I was a full on, snot-nosed, red-eyed sobbing disaster.

What was it about this magnificent show that made me feel like I lost a friend when it ended? Those he didn't watch the show can laugh, but everyone I know who watches(now watched) was as emotionally wrapped up with the Bravermans as I was.

Thanks for the 6 beautiful seasons.

[Patronus]

Posted: 1/30/15 at 10:49am

I watched the show from the beginning and enjoyed it quite a bit.

This shortened season made things seem short and a little overly dramatic for me and the finale didn't move me quite as much as it did you, but it was nice that they tried to wrap everything up and give you an idea that the family is going to be just fine.

(I mean how could it not...Adam and Christina seem to have the ability to create money out of thin air.)

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 1/30/15 at 11:25am

I'm really sad to see it go. These are the kinds of tv shows network tv can still do so well--creator/showrunner Katims came out of the Herskovitz/Zwick school and wrote for My So Called-Life and Once and Again (and had his first flop with them during relativity--a show I wish was at least offered online.) But... I am glad they had a chance to go out on their own terms, unlike all of those shows excepting Once and Again which had a great finale.

I am eager to see where he will go next. I enjoy About a Boy, but that format is not ideal for his style... The acting crew will all, obviously be ok and move on to good and bad projects.

Iwas glad to see in Katims' post mortem at ew.com that he admitted the lesbian relationship with Haddie was something he wish he could have written better.

[NYadgal]

Posted: 1/30/15 at 11:43am

I thought it was just about as perfect a series finale as it could be.

I was weeping at the end, both from sadness and joy. They played it beautifully.

It's been a special show, and I'm sorry to see it end, but as you said, glad they had a chance to go out on their own terms.

I'd love to see more quality television like this in our future. This was a beautiful show.

[IAMWHATIAM]

Posted: 1/30/15 at 3:57pm

I'm a self-proclaimed sap and enjoyed the series from the beginning, but felt the final season was too rushed in certain story lines and too focused on select characters in others - even more than was typical for the show. (Not including the jump forward, which I enjoyed, even though, for me, it highlighted the fact that some of the characters and story lines were way under-developed). But that's to be expected in an ensemble with so many characters, I suppose. What I can't for the life of me understand is how/why you have a parent tell a child that she is his favorite - even if you think she and everyone else knows it (and even if you somehow think she needs to hear it and/or you need to say it). It's such a divisive, damaging and burdensome thing to do to someone, and I found that to be very ugly and it just didn't ring fictional true to me. As a parent and a child, I was really disappointed by that. But parents (even fictional ones) and tv writers are only people who, while they usually and hopefully do the best they can, sometimes make mistakes, so I'll just move on. I did love seeing Scott ("Jason Street") Porter as Amber's new love interest, and seeing the mini Friday Night Lights reunion of him together with Matt Luria (and knowing that Ryan had gotten his act together and was an involved parent). And on a purely stupid and catty note, I hated Sarah's wedding ensemble (maybe just the gloves, but I can't get beyond them to figure it out). I will miss these folks.

[JerseyGirl2]

Posted: 1/31/15 at 1:22pm

Sarah's outfit did not work for me. The cap sleeve with the long glove cut her arms off in weird places.

I took him telling Sarah that she was his favorite a bit like The Prince of Tides when the mother tells each child they are her favorite, but not to tell the others. I didn't think he meant it genuinely. If he did, that's a horrible thing to say.

Otherwise, I am a blubbering mess. I cried tears of sadness that turned into tears of joy. The season was rushed, but the finale was about as perfect as it could have been. I am going to miss the Bravermans.

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 1/31/15 at 7:56pm

SPOILERS AHEAD:

Septuagenarians have a tendency to speak their minds, Jersey Girl. He didn't tell Sarah she was his favorite in front of the other offspring and he knows her well enough to know she isn't going to repeat his remarks to the others.

I concur with Whizzer and the others in this thread who came to love the show. At my house, the waterworks started about three minutes into the last episode (even though almost everything in the episode--Big Zeke's death, the new baby moving in with his great-grandparents, Adam becoming a teacher while Crosby goes it alone at the Luncheonette--was clearly foreshadowed for weeks).

[JbaraFan1]

Posted: 1/31/15 at 8:38pm

It was perfect. I was a total mess almost from the get-go watching the episode the other night. Didn't do much better re-watching late last night. That scene with Zeek and Sarah (GavenstonPS, I agree with you there)... Drew's toast at the wedding (especially his remarks to his mom) ... the montage at the end ... those were among the scenes that really got to me both times I've watched it.

[JerseyGirl2]

Posted: 2/1/15 at 4:55am

I began crying when they asked Amber to move in. We saw it coming, but Amber didn't. I felt joy because in that moment I realized that Camille wasn't going to be alone. I did not think they would kill Zeke. I thought they would leave us with knowing that it would be soon. The moment he didn't answer her, I said, "Oh no..." My poor toddler came over and snuggled me through the montage.

[Melissa25]

Posted: 2/3/15 at 10:50pm

Sorry to see this one end. Will miss this show and cast.

What happened to Haddie's girlfriend?

Great music throughout the season and especially stand-out for the finale. Loved the Giddens/Iron&Wine rendition of "Forever Young."

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 2/4/15 at 1:45am

Creator Jason Katims says that Haddie's girlfriend was something he wishes he had handled better, in this postmortem interview. http://www.ew.com/parenthood-series-finale-jason-katims

[BroadwayNYC2]

Posted: 2/4/15 at 9:58am

I think the bigger issue is Haddie in general.

[JerseyGirl2]

Posted: 2/4/15 at 10:01am

Haddie was certainly problematic.